New year, new crafty things

Miri is setting our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers today — it's a new year and so she'd like to see something you've not used before on your card. It might be newly acquired, or just something in your stash that you haven’t got round to using yet!

I've used this row of corks stamp before but not the die that coordinates with it. The real "new" element though is the embossing folder - I've seen lots of cards with this Tim Holtz folder and find it hard to resist woodgrain so it made it on to my Christmas wish list and I was lucky enough to find it under the tree! I thought it would make a good wine crate background for the corks. To personalise the card, I stamped the vintage before embossing in the folder. For some reason the camera has made it more prominent than it looks in real life where it’s more of a background element. 

Oh, I used a new square die as well! Perhaps not the most exciting shape but I got a new set for Christmas that gives me bigger squares as well as more options than the Nesties I’ve had for a long time. 

Stamps:
Row of corks (Spellbinder, set with dies)
My Type (Ma Vinci's Reliquary, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Ivory flecked

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Latte, Espresso)

Other:
Lumber embossing folder (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Plain square nesting dies (Presscut)
Copic markers
Tomato paste tube
Fineline marker

January elements

Hello, welcome to the first challenge of 2023 from the Daring Cardmakers — as ever the first challenge of the month is an “elemental” one, just choose at least three elements from the inspiration picture to kickstart your project. 

I chose some of the colours, a fabric look to the square (might be too subtle for the camera), pinked edges, foliage and white dots to create a clean and simple birthday card to add to my stash. The square is coloured with a Copic marker and cross hatched with a fine liner in a shade darker blue (because I didn’t plan anything before I started, I’d probably have used a stamp if I’d had any idea what I was going to do!). I don’t have any pinked edge dies but I do have pinking shears. The die cut leafy sprig is coloured with a Copic and then a bit of detail added with a coloured pencil.  

Stamps:
Sentiment from Big Day Today (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Chipped Sapphire)

Other:
Pinking shears
Copic markers
Coloured pencil
Back to Nature Thinlets dies (Sizzix)
White enamel accents by Ranger

Link in the chain — December

Happy New Year! It’s reveal day at Card Chain Challenge and having forgotten to sign up for November’s I made sure I was early in the sign up list for December. It’s the month that departs from the usual pattern of sketch/colour palette/theme etc and gives us a tic-tac-toe board to play with. 

 It’s a five by five board and even though I’m usually up for extra challenge I find 25 options a bit too much! So I played the “regular” way and chose the penultimate horizontal line — squares, deer, emboss, splats, Santa. I hope Rudolph counts in the “deer” category!

I used a square card base and embossed with a die for more squares before stamping the image, masking it and using low tack tape to mask off the edges, blending three shades of blue ink and splattering with metallic watercolour. The image is coloured with Copics and then came the scary bit! I thought it should work to do an eclipse style sentiment using an embossing folder rather than cutting out and sticking back the lettering. It was still a bit nerve-wracking putting the carefully coloured card into the folder and squishing it through the Big Shot. It worked pretty well I think, just like a “traditional” eclipse sentiment, it shows more at some angles than others.

All that embossing and masking means I managed to stick to my one layer preference for CCC. It’s gone to Arlene in California, hope she likes it!

Stamps:
Holly Jolly (Penny Johnson/Stampavie)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire)

Other:
Stitched square frame dies (Paper Rose)
Copic markers 
Sayings embossing folder (Darice)
Gansai Tambi Starry Colours watercolour paints

Believe

It’s Friday so it must be time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers — it’s our last before Christmas and follows our previous one word prompts. Today’s word is BELIEVE.

I couldn’t resist tying in with Let’s Squash It where the theme is snowflakes and stars. Sadly, LSI is calling it a day, at least for the time being. I’ve been really honoured to be chosen as Empress three times. Gail and Jo have been fabulous challenge hosts and all the regular players will be sad to wave farewell. Thank you Gail and Jo!

For today’s card I used a sentiment that includes the DCM word of the week, stamped and heat embossed on vellum with torn edges and laid over a background of sanded embossed snowflakes. The stars are die cut from silver card and I added glitter to the largest one for a bit extra festive pizzazz. I haven’t used the confetti die that produces the little stars for ages — it was nice to “rediscover” that!

It’s wintery and festive with plenty of die cut action so I’m linking up at Die Cut Divas, too.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful festive season.

Stamps:
Sparkle All the Way (Crafter’s Companion)

Paper:
Bristol board
Textured blue (came with the folder)
Vellum
Silver mirri 

Ink:
Versamark  by Tsukineko

Other:
Glamour dust by DecoArt (Crystal)
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Snowflakes embossing folder (Darice)
Stars Framelits (Sizzix)
Confetti die (Mama Elephant)
Bright white detail embossing powder (Wow!)

December elements

It’s the first Friday of a new month so we have our regular “elemental” challenge at Daring Cardmakers — just choose at least three elements from the inspiration picture to kickstart your project. We’ll be back to our single word prompts next week.

From the very festive moodboard, I chose a Santa hat, pine branches and silver framing (inspired by the mirror). I did intend to add ho! ho! ho! as a sentiment but in the end preferred it with a small white on black one (computer generated). I used Pan Pastel to make the frame a fairly matte silver and then pressed down quite hard with a gel pen to make a groove for a slightly more ornate look.

This Santa hat is a really good size and I like the suggestion of the man himself rather than a full image! 

Stamps:
Ho! Ho! Ho! (Visible Image)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Delicata by Tsukineko (Silvery Shimmer)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Pine branches embossing folder (Richard Garay)
Silver Pan Pastel
Silver gel pen 

 

Shine on

It’s Friday so it must be time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers. Our one word prompt in the run up to Christmas this week is: SHINE.

I got this die set a while ago on a well known auction site from someone having a crafty clear out. I should really be doing the same rather than buying more stuff! As soon as I saw this week’s word I knew I wanted to give the bulbs their first outing.

I cut the base layer from silver mirri card and then the top layer is vellum for a frosted bulb kind of look. I used double sided tape sheet on the vellum to get round the "show through" problem. The central portion is inked after masking the edges and then splattered with water. The sentiment is embossed with white powder. 

As I've gone far more die cut oriented than usual, I feel justified in another entry to this month's Die Cut Divas challenge!

Stamps:
Sparkle All the Way (Crafter’s Companion)

Paper:
Bristol board
Silver mirri
Vellum

Ink:
Versamark by Tsukineko
Tim Holtz Distress ink (Dusty Concord) and Oxide (Wilted Violet) by Ranger

Other:
String of Lights dies (Lawn Fawn)
Bright white detail embossing powder (Wow)
Gel glue (Pinflair)
Double sided tape sheet

White out

It's time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we have another in the series of one word prompts in the run up to Christmas. This week’s word is WHITE. 

I’m combining again with Let’s Squash It (any embossing folder on a Christmas card) and Die Cut Divas (where this month anything goes with a die and/or embossing folder). 

My mostly white card features embossed snowflakes and Snowy Sophie who has just a touch of colour. I had some white on black computer-generated sentiments left on my desk from last week’s card so I used another one here. 

I've lent most of my Christmassy embossing folders to my dad but forgot about this one as it was in my pile of "not yet used stuff" rather than in the Christmas box - sorry Dad!

I ran a line of pearl paint pen round the outside of the die cut embossed rectangle and poured glitter on it. Sophie is cut out (I redrew her arms onto the card with a fineliner so I didn’t have to cut out the fiddly bits) and given a sparkly snowdrift to nestle into using the same paint and glitter. 

Stamps:
Snowy Sophie (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Snowflakes embossing folder (Darice)
Glamour Dust by DecoArt (Crystal)
Pearl Pen by DecoArt (Ice White)
Black fineliner 

Holly jolly

It's time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we have a series of one word prompts in the run up to Christmas. This week’s word is HOLLY. 

I’ve combined with the new challenge at Let’s Squash It which is asking for any embossing folder on a Christmas card. I stamped the holly on a die cut square and then used the folder to emboss it so that all the grungy detail and the wording is on that layer. To get smooth leaves, I stamped again on a scrap of card, coloured the holly and cut it out. It’s stuck on with gel glue so the leaves are lifted off the embossed layer a bit. A wonky border doodled with a gold gel pen, some sparkle on the berries, a computer-generated seniment and some enamel dots finish it off.

The Die Cut Divas have an “anything goes” theme this month, I used an embossing folder and a die here so I’m linking up there too. I wanted a square that was bigger than the Nesties I have so I used a square frame die but placed my top plate so that I only cut one outer edge, then turned it to cut the next and so on — a bit fiddly but it worked! Of course I then obscured the stitching effect by embossing the piece so I should probably have just used a knife and ruler to cut a square!

Stamps:
Inked Holly (Visible Image)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched square frame dies (Paper Rose)
Pine planks embossing folder (Stampin Up)
Clear Wink of Stella pen
White Enamel Accents by Ranger
Gold gel pen 

November Elements

We're starting to gear up to Christmas at Daring Cardmakers so this month's “elemental” mood board lends itself to festive projects if that's the way the mood takes you. As ever, just choose at least three elements from the picture to kickstart your project.

I chose white text on a black background, a bauble (I chose the teal colour of the star rather than the more obvious pink) and a black and white pattern. I just drew the stripes with a marker and the bauble is cut out and popped up on a bit of scrap card. I used a hole punch to make an actual loop by taking the centre out of the stamped image and tied some silver thread through it. 

Stamps:
Christmas Joy (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us)
Sentiment from a magazine freebie set

Paper:
Bristol board
Black

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Bright white detail embossing powder (Wow)
Stitched rectangle dies A6 size (Paper Rose)
Silver thread

Link in the chain — October

It’s reveal day at Card Chain Challenge. Mine went to Imke in Germany this time. 

From the options on offer I chose the colour palette, the theme of mythical beasts and I used a brush when I created the background. It’s my usual one layer creation for CCC and I think the unicorn stamp is bold enough not to need much else. 

 

I brushed ink over a stencil to create the background, stamped the clouds and added some silvery shimmer to them and an ink "shadow" underneath to accentuate them. Oh, I used a second sort of brush for that bit!

 

A rounded corner, doodled border, grounding under the unicorn's hooves and a few dots of Enamel Accents in the centre of the sparkle stamp and call it done.

Stamps:

Believe in Unicorns (Visible Image)

Paper:

Bristol board 

Ink:

Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass, Spun Sugar)

Shadow ink by Hero Arts (Soft Granite)

Delicata by Tsukineko (Silvery Shimmer)

Other:

Strobe stencil (Visible Image)

Corner Chomper
White Enamel Accents by Ranger
Silver gel pen
Black fineliner